What are summer camps?

Summer camps are available throughout the world but are predominantly located in the United States of America.

There are over ten thousand summer camps in the USA, this tradition was first started by a man named Frederick William Gunn, who after founding a boys' school in Connecticut led twenty five boys on a two week camp out to a place called Milford. Gunn's idea became very popular and soon the YMCA and churches began to sponsor camps for young people.

Children of all ages can attend summer camp no matter what their social-economic background. Summer camps offer children a place to learn new skills, take part in activities, have fun and meet new friends.

Annually over ten million children benefit from the summer camp experience, and these include campers and staff who travel from all over the world to attend the great American summer camp experience.

There are summer camp jobs available around the world. You have the option to work at a summer camp in North America or Worldwide.

Featured Companies

BUNAC Summer Camp USA & KAMP USA Applications Now open! Anyone looking to go to camp in the summer of 2010 can now book a regional interview through BUNAC. Returning camp counsellors can apply through BUNAC and pay an earlybird registration fee of £30.		Camp America Camp America is offering fantastic placement opportunities for summer 2010! It’s your chance to do something different with your summer and spend it in the U.S.A. living & working either with children or 'behind the scenes' as support staff on an American Summer Camp.
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Camp Leaders Camp Leaders provides the opportunity for people, from around the world, to work with children at summer camps in the United States, and to travel afterwards. Working at a camp will, without doubt, be the most rewarding, challenging and unforgettable job you'll ever have.		InterExchange InterExchange Camp USA connects international participants ages 18+ with unique opportunities to work at summer camps across the USA as counselors or support staff. We sponsor your J-1 Visa and offer placements at a variety of different camps.
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Types of Camp

North America Summer Camps - Types of Camp

You could find yourself enjoying the time of your life at any of them. You get the opportunity to choose which type of camp you would like to go to, options include:

· Private / Independent Camps
· Agency Camps
· Religious Camps
· Girl Scout Camps
· Special Needs and Learning Difficulties Camps

Private / Independent Camps
These camps are usually owned by an individual or family. They tend to attract children from more wealthy backgrounds. Don't be suprised to find a famous movie star or sports star dropping their children off by helicopter.

Agency Camps: Usually owned by organisations such as the YMCA. They have a real sense of community and spirit.

Religious Camps: Predominantly Christian and Jewish camps, the religious values are the main theme and some of these requite staff to hold a strong religious belief.

Girl Scout Camps: This camps are available for all girl scouts and staff are almost always female.

Day Camps: Children travel to camp on a daily basis and do not stay over night.

Special Needs and Learning Difficulties Camps: These types of camps are the same as other camps but cater for children with mental or physical disabilities.

Summer Camp Activities

Summer camp activities are different depending on what type of camp you work at, if you want to become a counsellor you could be instructing the following activities at camp:

· Water activities - sailing, water skiing, swimming, canoeing, bay studies, windsurfing, fly fishing

· Land activities - archery, nature, outdoor living skills, football, photography, mountain biking, arts and crafts, cooking, dance and drama, fitness, lacrosse, basketball, tennis, athletics, newspaper, jewellery, ropes and adventure course, horseback riding.

Daily Schedule

The daily schedule of a Summer Camp depends on the management. An average day at camp is usually as follows:

Time	Schedule
7:45	Wake up
7:55	Flag Raising
8:00	Breakfast
8:30	Village detail and cabin cleanup
9:15	Cabin or village activity
10:15	First activity period
11:15	Second activity period
12:30	Lunch
1:00	Rest Hour in cabin
2:15	Second period
3:15	Third period
4:15	Free Period
5:25	Flag lowering
5:30	Dinner
6:00	Free Hour
7:15	Cabin or village activity
8:30	Showers - younger villages Socialising time older villages
9:00	Devotions
10:00	Lights out younger villages
10:30	Lights out older villages
10:45	Free Time

Camp Culture

Summer camp is one of those protected places in life where children can try new things within a framework of support and encouragement.

It is difficult to describe what a fun job working at a summer camp is. As a counselor it is such a thrill to watch campers do things that they never thought possible, being able to influence the lives of children is one of the most rewarding feelings imaginable.

Summer Camp's, usually have a structure and hierarchy which looks like:

Camp Director: It is this persons job to see the overall running of the camp, they usually have many years experience in the summer camp environment. The camp director deals with all the major decisions and issues.

· Sports / Program Director's: Program directors job is to organise and oversee that all the camp activities run smoothly.

· Counselors: There are two types of counselor's; the general counselor and the activity-leader. General counselor's usually sleep in the same cabin as the children, whilst eating with them in the dining hall.

· CIT's: Counselors in training, they are usually teenagers aged 17, who are just a year too young to become a counsellor. They have probably been at camp as campers and now come and learn the skills which makes a great counsellor.

· LIT's: Learners in training, these are teenagers aged sixteen, who are now too old to come to camp as campers, but are too young to become counsellors. They help out with activities and offer general assistance.

· Campers: These are the children that come to camp and it is your responsibility they stay safe and have a great time.

Each day at camp usually starts with the raising of the American flag and when the daily activities finish the flag gets lowered.

In everyday life you cannot avoid the media's influence, society is literally injected with the media everyday through the likes of television, radio, newspapers and political propaganda. When the children arrive at camp they are transported into a different world. They are taken away from the media influence, there are no televisions to watch, or any newspapers and magazines available. Children at camp are encouraged to be free and make their own decisions for the time there are there.

Summer camp provides children with the chance to escape from the contrived world that is gripped in the media's control. In our current cultural climate we are quite an anti-social society humans especially children spend hours sitting in rooms watching televisions and playing on video games.

Summer camp help campers maintain good health, develop character values, respect diversity and be more successful in school. At camp historical communication values are reinforced as children get the chance to practices speaking to people and making friends.

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